Marlena MALĄG

Policy topics Marlena MALĄG is active on

What Marlena MALĄG has said (43)

• 2026-07-15 “Thank you very much, Chair. I'm going to speak Polish. In June, we know, we no longer have transitional rules on lower requirements for crypto in Poland, for example. This has been a problem. Some entities can no longer offer services. They did not get licenses before, so this is a difficult situation. Our banking supervision department says that those companies can still appeal and that they can transfer their activities to other member states if they are not allowed to operate in Poland. It's very difficult to monitor the situation because this is digital. There are Internet websites, and services can be offered, of course, in a transnational environment. If there is a group of companies that offer services and they are interlinked with third countries, it becomes even more complicated because the products or services they offer can be regulated or unregulated. So we have a problem of supervision that is very dispersed between national entities of supervision and between FIUs, between other levels of supervision. This is very complicated. Can AMLA do something to better coordinate this? Because what happened in Poland, we had the Zonda crypto. This was a crypto exchange market that basically suffered from a failure, and now it is like a domino effect. It is also with the cows that and that's followed. It's very easy to try and involve in money laundering. So this is basically a very messy situation. Can AMLA help?”
  Anti-money laundering regulation
• 2026-07-09 “(11:08:46 - 11:09:57): Ladies and gentlemen, there was supposed to be simplification. What we get is federal attacks under the slogans of competitiveness. 1 of the most important prerogatives is taken away from the state's tax policy. Why? To overtake tax income to make its own resources for the EU, make the commission independent on contributions of member states, and to build 1 big European budget from which Brussels will arbitrarily share out money while multiplying conditionality. This has nothing with sovereignty or treaties. Step by step, Brussels is going forward. We had harmonization of VAT, taxes on large corporations, taxes of extraordinary profits or windfall profits. This is centralization and building a stronger position for Brussels as a superstate. We are not going to agree to that. We cannot agree to a fiscal union. We cannot agree to taking away competences from member states. We will not allow for building a, federal Europe by the back door. Thank you.”
  EU competences on taxation
• 2026-07-02 “(10:30:37 - 10:32:11): Thank you. Thank you. I'll speak Polish. Right now, we already have seen the unofficial version of commission's report about the banking situation. This should be the basis of the revision of the banking law. And apart from what have been expected that the current rules, we lack enough proportionality and that we need to limit the reporting obligations, at least with the smaller banks, we have other suggestions concerning, transborder banking groups. This might be a threat for such countries as Poland, where we have a lot of foreign capital. The commission is pointing that the current rules require capital and liquidity on many levels, including in many societies, which work in many member states, and it suggests a more flexible capital management. From the perspective of a host country, this way of activity, However, we need to make sure that the security of the hosting country sector is not threatened. Host countries say that the further integration must be implemented by additional safeguards in the EU law. So my question is how to solve this problem. What safeguards should we have? Thank you.”
  European Banking Union
• 2026-06-23 “Thank you, chair. I will speak in Polish. The European Fiscal Council in its report for the last year talks about how difficult it is to implement a new framework model for economic governance. The council said that the dialogue between the commission and member states related to the process of submitting an acceptance of structural plans did not does not reflect the multifaceted character of the procedure with a strong participation of the council. This raises doubt in especially in the context of the future multi annual framework because the national, regional, and partnership plans should be linked to the implementation of fiscal plans. So does the commission think that it can be objective in its relationship with specific member states? This does raise some doubts and also whether in the coming financial perspective, the access to EU funds will be strictly related to the budgetary discipline?”
  EU fiscal rules and oversight of national budgets
• 2026-06-23 “(15:51:54 – 15:54:45): very much, chair. Thank you very much. I'm addressing the reporter. Thank you very much for your proposal. For us, the positive element of this report is the, reference to, the principle of subsidiarity. However, it is mostly mentioned in the construct of Germany or The Netherlands or Belgium, because the report identified their practices as helpful. On the other side, we have Poland, for example, and we think that our specificity is not accounted for in sufficient way. As far the report as a whole is concerned, in our opinion, the goals are too the the scope is too wide. There is an issue of climate change. There is the issue of revenue gaps. So that means that you will have to channel a lot of investments to capital markets. That might not be a good idea. And you are also too much open to, some risky investments by IORP. That might be a danger to the future, revenues for our pensioners. I'm not so sure if we have to pursue this proposal. I think this is, we are sort of, trying to look for more money to investment elsewhere, and we are really casting our net very, very wide. So it looks like the European Commission wants to restructure the, the system. But please remember that our national systems have been created for years. They are very specific, country specific, and you should not harmonize them by force. In Poland, any idea to harmonize our system might mean far reaching changes for, the occupational retirement provisions. Of course, we will introduce amendments pointing out to, the fact that you should not risk the stability of well established pension systems. You cannot expect countries to reform their models just because there is another country that has a good model and it worked for them. It might not work for us. And please do not go for higher risk. Any reform should be based on long term vision and stability for future pensioners. The PEP initiative, for example, until now has not been very successful. So let us focus less on harmonization and more on better coordination, where it worked until now. Thank you.”
  EU policy on aging workforce and pensions
• 2026-02-05 “P-000469/2026 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission According to Article 2(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 on the placing on the market of plant protection products (the PPP Regulation) 1 , products intended to protect plants or plant products against harmful organisms or preventing the action of such organisms are plant protection products. The decisive legal criterion is the intended plant protection function, and no exemption is foreseen for products that operate by means of a physical mechanism. The question referred to by the Honourable Member of whether the product is within the scope of the PPP Regulation, was discussed with the Member States in the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed – Section phytopharmaceuticals legislation 2 . The Member States agreed with the conclusion that in light of the existing legal definitions, the product must be considered to be a PPP and must be authorised as such before it can be used. The objective referred to in the Vision for Agriculture and Food 3 to accelerate access to the market for safer active substances does not affect the obligation to maintain the high level of safety standards of the PPP Regulation. This also applies to products such as Siltac which were never assessed for their safety until now. Socio-economic considerations related to the conclusion that Siltac is a PPP were taken into account in the discussions with Member States, in particular the need to provide sufficient time for companies marketing the product to prepare and submit the necessary application. 1 http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/1107/oj. 2 See report of the Committee, point A.12 at: https://food.ec.europa.eu/document/download/3e779648-c26848fc-97f2-27b5efaf49f9_en?filename=sc_phyto_20250709_ppl_sum.pdf. 3 https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/overview-vision-agriculture-food/vision-agriculture-and-food_en.”
  EU policy on pesticides · Reduction targets for pesticides
• 2025-07-09 “E-002810/2025 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission The Commission adopted, on 16 July 2025, a proposal 1 to revise the Tobacco Taxation Directive 2 . Higher tobacco taxes and prices have been demonstrated to be the single most effective measure to reduce overall tobacco use, induce current smokers to quit, reduce uptake by young people, lower consumption among those who continue to smoke, improve population health and produce additional public health benefits. Therefore, the revision of the Directive aims to increase minimum tax rates applicable to traditional tobacco products and introduce new minimum tax rates for tobacco-related products. The impact assessment 3 has thoroughly examined the possible effects of the proposal. Research indicates that there is no direct proportionality between tax levels and the level of illicit trade. The ability and capacity for offenders to supply illicit tobacco, rather than the price of licit tobacco, has the most influence on the extent of tax evasion, with other notable factors being enforcement capacity and the geographical proximity with illicit trade routes. The proposed rules take into account the specific economic situation of each Member State. The adjustment at country level considers price level indices in individual Member States. In simple terms, the newly proposed EU minimum rate is partially adjusted for each Member State against price levels in that particular Member State. This ensures that the rates are more durable and have the desired effects on smoking prevalence. 1 Proposal for a Council Directive on the structure and rates of excise duty applied to tobacco and tobacco related products (recast), COM (2025) 580 final. 2 Council Directive 2011/64/EU of 21 June 2011 on the structure and rates of excise duty applied to manufactured tobacco, OJ L 176, 5 July 2011, p. 24–36. 3 Impact Assessment Report accompanying the proposal for a Council Directive on the structure and rates of excise duty applied to tobacco and tobacco-related products (recast), SWD (2025) 560 final, Brussels, 16 July 2025.”
  EU competences on taxation · VAT harmonisation
• 2025-06-27 “P-002609/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission While the Commission is not aware of the problems of labour rights violations at PKP Cargo, the enforcement of labour rights is a competence of Member States. The Commission has lately received no request from Poland for European Globalisation Fund (EGF) co-financing to support former PKP Cargo workers, nor workers made redundant in other enterprises. The Honourable Member may wish to communicate with the EGF Contact Persons for Poland 1 , should she wish to know whether such an application is being planned concerning further waves of redundancies at PKP Cargo. Ensuring that Member States can access relevant capabilities to transport their military personnel, equipment, and supply is critical to the EU and its Member States’ defence readiness. As outlined in the Joint White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030 2 , Military mobility will be strengthened by increased availability of specialised and dual-use transport assets in all transport modes. The Commission is now preparing a Military Mobility package where the issue of transport assets will be addressed. 1 https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/funding/european-globalisationadjustment-fund-displaced-workers-egf/how-apply_en. 2 https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-defence-industry/introducing-white-paper-european-defenceand-rearm-europe-plan-readiness-2030_en.”
  EU policy on forced redundancies · European Globalisation Adjustment Fund · EU regulation on worker representation in company decisions
• 2025-04-07 “E-001408/2025 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission The evaluation of Directive 2011/64/EU 1 published in 2020 shows that, while the current rules work well in terms of predictability and stability for EU Member States’ fiscal revenue, the current minimum rates established under the Directive have lost traction over time and are no longer effective against market distortions, resulting in lost tax revenues for Member States. Besides, the minimum rates are no longer as effective in contributing to the ambitious goals of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan 2 . The Commission continues to work on a revision of this Directive to draw up a proposal based on the latest market and regulatory data available. The Commission will continue to give priority to protecting people from the harmful effects of tobacco and related products. Taxation plays an instrumental role in reducing the consumption of these harmful products. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32011L0064, Council Directive 2011/64/EU on the structure and rates of excise duty applied to manufactured tobacco, OJ L 176, 5.7.2011, p. 24. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2021%3A44%3AFIN, SWD (2021) 44 final.”
  EU competences on taxation · Smoking regulation
• 2025-04-02 “P-001348/2025 Reply Decisions under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) are taken by the European Council and the Council acting unanimously. Pursuant to Article 31(3) of the Treaty on European Union, the decision to allow the Council to act by a qualified majority in the area of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), in cases other than those referred to in Article 31(2) TEU, is adopted unanimously by the European Council. This does not, however apply to decisions having military or defence implications. National security remains the sole responsibility of each Member State. Regarding the Honourable Member’s second and third questions, it is not for the Council to speculate or to comment on the positions of individual Member States. The Honourable Member is invited to refer to the conclusions of the Special meeting of the European Council of 6 March 2025, which address European Defence.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022) · EU competences on defence
• 2025-04-02 “E-001349/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is monitoring labour market trends in Member States, including by using survey data 1 . It also monitors collective redundancies and other large-scale restructuring events, using Eurofound’s European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) 2 . At the same time, as highlighted in the Communication on a Clean Industrial Deal 3 , the Commission believes in the importance of anticipating change and fostering swift interventions when there is a threat of restructuring. To this end, the Commission will, among other things, establish a European Fair Transition Observatory to improve data collection and forecasting of employment trends at sectoral and regional levels. One of the main objectives of Directive (EU) 2022/2041 4 is to promote collective bargaining on wage-setting, recognising that well-functioning collective bargaining is essential for achieving adequate minimum wage protection. The Directive obliges Member States with a collective bargaining coverage rate below 80%, such as Poland, to establish an action plan to gradually increase this rate 5 . The action plans are expected to be submitted to the Commission by the concerned Member States by the end of 2025. However, the Directive does not regulate the enforcement of collective agreements in matters not related to minimum wage protection, such as collective redundancies. To date, Poland has not formally applied to the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). The Commission recently proposed an amendment to the EGF Regulation 6 , broadening the support to workers at the risk of imminent job loss due to restructuring. 1 For instance, the Barometer of Professions in Poland. 2 https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/resources/european-restructuring-monitor. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0085. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32022L2041. 5 Article 4(2) of Directive (EU) 2022/2041. 6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/691/oj.”
  Minimum wages harmonisation at EU level · EU policy on forced redundancies · European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
• 2025-04-02 “E-001352/2025 Answer given by Mr Kubilius on behalf of the European Commission In the context of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), decisions related to security and defence are made by the Council of the EU acting unanimously. The European Council provides strategic guidance and sets the overall political direction for the CSDP. Paragraph 1 of the European Council conclusions of 6 March 2025 1 is very clear on the agreement amongst Member States that Europe must become more sovereign, more responsible for its own defence and better equipped to act and deal autonomously with immediate and future challenges and threats with a 360 degrees approach. The role of the Commission in this field is clearly defined in the EU Treaties. The Commission does not hold competences affecting the discretion of Member States to decide on actions of their armed forces. It is each Member States’ decision whether and how to coordinate with other countries, and whether to enter into any bi- or multilateral agreements creating rights and obligations with regard to their security and their armed forces. The Commission, together with the High Representative/Vice-President, put forward the White Paper for European Defence - Readiness 2030 2 . It focuses on how to support Member States in filling their most urgent and critical capability gaps, backed by funding options presented by the President of the Commission on 4 March 2025 through the ReArm Europe Plan 3 . In this regard, it proposes actions and instruments in particular to financially support Member States, increase the European defence industrial readiness and work more closely with Ukraine and other partners. 1 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2025/03/06/european-council-conclusions-oneuropean-defence/. 2 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/e6d5db69-e0ab-4bec-9dc03867b4373019_en?filename=White%20paper%20for%20European%20defence%20%E2%80%93%20Readines s%202030.pdf. 3 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_25_673.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022) · EU competences on defence
• 2025-01-09 “P-000060/2025 Answer given by Mr Hansen on behalf of the European Commission For EU sensitive agricultural sectors, the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement sets clear limits as regards providing preferential access to the EU market for beef, poultry and sugar. For these sectors, trade preferences granted under the agreement are limited through tariff quotas representing only a small fraction of EU consumption. For instance, the EU quota for beef of 99 000 tons with an inbound reduced tariff rate of 7.5% phased in gradually over five years accounts for about 1.6% of the current EU beef consumption. On the other hand, the agreement offers a variety of export opportunities for EU farmers thanks to reduced tariffs in Mercosur countries for several EU agri-food products (e.g. wines, spirits, confectionary, dairy and olive oil), as well as the protection of EU Geographical Indications in a market of 280 million consumers. Furthermore, the agreement contains bilateral safeguards that can be triggered to protect a specific agricultural sector and it has the significant advantage to also covering products not fully liberalized under the Free Trade Agreement. This would protect our farmers in case increased imports from Mercosur cause, or threaten to cause, serious injury to the relevant EU sectors. The Commission will monitor agricultural market developments closely after the agreement is implemented. For the unlikely event that the agricultural market situation in the EU is negatively impacted following the implementation of the agreement, the Commission intend to set up a reserve worth at least EUR one billion under the next Multiannual Financial Framework. This provides an additional safety net and insurance for the sector.”
  GMOs
• 2024-10-04 “P-001954/2024 Answer given by Mr Schmit on behalf of the European Commission Member States have the primary responsibility for the correct transposition and implementation of EU Directives. Directives 98/59/EC 1 and 2009/38/EC 2 set out procedural requirements on information and consultation of workers in cases of restructuring. Directive 98/59/EC obliges employers who are contemplating redundancies above some thresholds to consult workers’ representatives in good time and notify the competent public authority 3 . Directive 2009/38/EC requires employers to consult their European Works Council (ECWs) on proposed measures concerning the undertaking as a whole, or at least two undertakings in different Member States 4 . The Commission promotes socially responsible restructuring. The Commission calls on Member States to promote the implementation of the Quality Framework for restructuring 5 . The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) 6 co-finances active policy measures for the reintegration of workers into the labour market. The EGF may intervene if the Member State requests, and the intervention criteria defined in Art. 4 of Regulation (EU) 2021/691 are met. In addition, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) provides support for workers to improve their employability. In Poland, the ESF+ at regional level offers outplacement measures for people made redundant or those at risk of being made redundant. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A31998L0059 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32009L0038 3 Collective redundancies take effect — at the earliest — 30 days after the notification. 4 Transnational character of a matter should be determined by taking account of both the scope of its potential effects, and the level of management and representation that it involves. 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A52013DC0882 6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2021.153.01.0048.01.ENG”
  European Globalisation Adjustment Fund · EU regulation on worker representation in company decisions · EU policy on forced redundancies
• 2024-09-25 “E-001821/2024 Answer given by Ms Lahbib on behalf of the European Commission The Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) 1 , amongst others, daily monitors the forecast estimates for potential flooding through the Copernicus European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) 2 . EFAS complements the national systems. The Commission has a supporting role in this field. From the onset, the ERCC was in contact with the national civil protection authorities of Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia to raise awareness about possible upcoming floods and offered support through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) 3 . On 18 September 2024, Poland activated the UCPM and requested support to strengthen its response to the floods. The EU’s strategic reserve, rescEU 4 , was also mobilised to complete Member States’ offers for assistance. As of 13 September 2024, Poland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania activated the Copernicus Rapid Mapping for flood delineation and damage assessment 5 . The Commission attaches particular importance to disaster prevention and preparedness, including by co-financing projects under the UCPM 6 and cooperating with Member States to implement the Floods Directive 7 . The Cohesion policy is contributing to climate change adaptation and disaster risk management with EUR 14 billion across EU regions. Furthermore, the Commission adopted on 21 October 2024 its proposal RESTORE - Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction 8 to provide liquidity and ease budgetary pressure in response to both recent and future natural disasters in the concerned Member States. 1 https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/emergency-response-coordinationcentre-ercc_en 2 https://european-flood.emergency.copernicus.eu/en 3 https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/eu-civil-protection-mechanism_en 4 https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/resceu_en 5 https://emergency.copernicus.eu/mapping/node/157182 6 Grants for UCPM prevention and preparedness actions are awarded through the ‘Technical assistance for disaster risk management’ and ‘Knowledge for action in prevention and preparedness’ grants. 7 Directive 2007/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2007 on the assessment and management of flood risks, OJ L 288, 6.11.2007, p. 27-34. 8 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council RESTORE – Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 and Regulation (EU) 2021/1057, COM(2024) 496 final.”
  Climate efforts
• “Ladies and gentlemen, we all want stronger European economy, more investment and more capital for our companies. The integration of capital markets can be helpful. However, we often hear that Europe should be as the United States, but we tend to forget that there is a major difference between us and the US. Over there, the single financial market has been built for almost 200 years. One market, one set of rules, one culture of investments. In Europe, it's completely different. 27 markets, 27 traditions of economy, 27 financial systems. It cannot be centralized by a couple of directives. So is centralization going to result in more investment? No. Unfortunately, the problem is not just market fragmentation. It's also overregulation. And, uh, the green ideology that puts brakes on our investment, makes them go somewhere else and destroys our economy. There is also a difference in mentality in the US. Risk is part of the investment culture here in Europe. People want to protect their savings. So I'm I'm afraid this union is going to increase the powers of Brussels and it will be detrimental to the competition.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Ladies and gentlemen, the digital euro is not a response to citizens needs. It is a political instrument. Europeans already have access to fast and safe payments. A digital currency does not solve any real problems, but it creates new ones. Who does it serve? The European Central Bank and the European Commission. It is them and not member states who will get new rights. The digital euro means centralising finances in the hands of the institutions that are detached from national interests. The European Central Bank will become a super bank, the issuer and the operator and in practice, the holder of the owner of citizens data. This means we will lose impact on our own banking system and monetary policy. Each country will become dependent on the digital infrastructure managed from Brussels and Frankfurt. Do we want the decisions about our economies to be taken outside of our borders? The digital euro is a threat to citizens freedoms and the independence of member states. It is also a real surveillance risk under the pretext of security and progress in the EU. That is going to control the finances.”
  Digital euro
• “Ladies and gentlemen, the Commission and Parliament wants to fight poverty in the EU. It's a beautiful theory. Now, time has come to put it into practice. How can poverty be combated when the Green Deal is closing down businesses and taking away people's jobs? How can we protect people from poverty when trade agreements are pushing Europe agriculture out of the market? How can we reduce poverty when the lack of migration control increases pressure on social systems and national budgets. Where is the interest of Europeans in all of this? Because of production, jobs and investments are moving outside of Europe. Will poverty decrease? Yes, but not here in Europe. It will decrease in Asia. Mercosur countries everywhere where goods flow from Europe. The first plane with beef from Mercosur has already landed in Europe. Many of those countries do not take any action to protect the climate, but often they do not respect even the basic labour rights. Let us start reducing poverty with wise trade and industrial and migration policies. Europe. Time is running out. Europe. Let's wake up. Thank you very much.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “Ladies and gentlemen, I doubt whether we should be addressing inequalities worldwide before we save the world, let's first have a look at our backyard. What does it look like? Imagine a small town in Eastern Europe. One steel mill, one chemical plant. Many families have been working there ever since. But today they closed down the production relocates. The cost of energy and regulatory burden are too high. Fathers in the families come back home. Say I'm tired. All the children pack up and go to the West, and mothers with smaller siblings face existential questions. How am I going to support my family? This is Europe category B, but the old EU is investing in modern plants for semiconductors. Grants, investments, acceleration. But the Europe category B is slowing down. We keep talking here about common market, but we have Europe of two speeds. The cohesion policy was supposed to bridge the gap between development, but the gap is widening. The peripheries of the EU are left to their own devices with empty factories and ageing population. Economic inequality means social inequality. No jobs, no stability. Without stability, people will not start up their families. Families are weak. But it was families. It was down to families in many regions who supported the local economy, the local communities. Today, families keep hearing they fell out of fashion. Other priorities matter much more, but it is down to the families to build up social cohesion, to construct our future. Unfortunately, the old and the new Europe are no longer equal, although they were supposed to be, because this has been the idea from the start of the European history. If our policy keeps destroying industry and ignore the role of families, these deep divisions between first class Europe and second class Europe will become permanent. I don't think Europe needs more slogans. It needs investment in industry, competitiveness and strong sovereign nations. But the EU today also needs one more thing. And that thing is courage. Courage to bring back equilibrium, to bring back jobs and respect for families. Otherwise, our common project is going to disintegrate.”
  EU cohesion/structural-fund architecture: consolidation vs ring-fenced separate funds
• “We need to take care of proper payment for subcontractors and we need to look at standards. The obligations of employers should be proportionate so that they are accessible for SMEs as well. New regulations should not be a barrier for the freedom of cross border services. They should contribute to a better participation of SMEs in supply chains. As for public procurement, let us remember the recent Imco test that supports proportion, proportions, uh and concentrates on the effective use of existing legal instruments. However, rejecting subcontracting is really harmful for the from the economic point of view, and these are good frames, we should stick to them. Subcontracting should not be only perceived through the perspective of negative effects. It has a lot of advantages. Uh, it makes it possible for small enterprises to use specialized competencies that are accessible in various regions of the EU. It also helps to focus on specialized services. It contributes to productivity for the main contractor. It is a good instrument for shortening the investment time and for better effectiveness. Subcontracting also makes it easier for SMEs to take part in large projects, and it contributes to a better know how transfer. Thank you for the work already done, and I'm sure that further dialogue will be very effective and constructive. Thank you.”
  EU rules on late commercial payments
• “Dear Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today we are still living in the world of anxieties. The world is afraid about the stability of the dollar, the global trade and cryptocurrencies. But we have another silent problem in Europe a growing debt indebtedness of uh, of countries. It is a time bomb which is blocking investment and um, is tightening, um, the loop between the banks and the budgets. How is it possible that this report completely ignores the topic? Do we not want to hear the inconvenient truth? Well, don't tell nobody warned you. I am warning you. Um. In the name of responsibility, let's not pretend everything is as it should be.”
  EU fiscal rules and oversight of national budgets
• “Thank you. Thank you very much. I would like to say a few words of recognition for the rapporteur, especially in the light of a very important role the subcontractors have to play in the 21st century economy. However, the report itself and the opinion seemed to be contradictory with our common deregulation agenda and the need to get the single market back to the path of development. So a few critical remarks. Our priority should be to execute the existing regulations Patience and a solid risk analysis before we decide on new obligations in the places where systemic abuses are spotted. We should focus on, for example, joint controls audits, and we should always respect the competences of member states in the areas of low risk. We should limit the reporting obligation to minimum. Looking from the macroeconomic perspective, we see that competitiveness is weakening and at the same time prices are rising. Europe is not competitive anymore. So Europe has to increase its productivity, has to carry out its projects faster, especially in the area of housing or infrastructure. If we introduce more red tape, we will raise the cost and slow down investments. We should also look at the real problems of the SMEs. For those enterprises, subcontracting is the only way to take part in large contracts and work in cross-border contexts. And also it contributes to lower costs. It is difficult to find enterprises that specialise in everything, so we should really remove barriers such as delayed payments.”
  EU rules on late commercial payments
• “Thank you very much. I haven't been able to follow the debates from the beginning. My apologies. I was at the petty committee. However, the representatives of Amazon often boast of putting the employees in the centre. But what is happening in the warehouses? According to the employees, the standards that you impose are impossible to comply with. Ai should help the employees, but instead of that, according to them, it is used against them. They are under enormous pressure. They are being supervised and surveilled. According to trade unions, 44% of employees do abandon their break, give up on their break in order to comply with your production productivity goals. You said that you give stable contracts and people stay for a long time, but you mainly offer fixed term contracts. When the contract comes to an end, you stay with nothing. People stay with nothing. Um, Marianne Malinowski won against you in a court of law, which clearly goes to show that you do not do enough to protect your people. You are an international giant. So how is it possible that after ten years of work, your hourly wage is €6.5? Why are there no increases of remuneration for employees with longer tenure? Why do you not incentivize or reward your staff? I guess you want to be competitive. You want to have your strict requirements, but people should have a decent wage. People need dignity. They need stability. Therefore, I would like to remind you that this matters most when it comes to your image. Amazon, in its own commercials and publicity, encourages people to come and work for them. But according to your own employees, you keep breaking workers rights and trade union rights. And I'm sorry about this.”
  EU policy on permanent and fixed-term employment
• “I would just like to respond to the words of my previous speakers. The ECR, The Polish delegation voted um in the way it did, because workers are very important for us and workers rights are very important to us. They are the most precious human capital there is. So we voted in favour. And so please check your facts. Thank you.”
  EU regulation on worker representation in company decisions
• “Ladies and gentlemen. And Reports of the European Audit Court doesn't show anything new. We know that this instrument is not effective and slow milestones are not equal. And the Commission is not impartial. Some funds were spent ineffectively. It's going to cost over 200,000,000,020% of the new budget. It means that we'll have fewer and less funds for cohesion or agriculture. So the Commission wants to cover the costs of the programme for the regions and the Europeans. So this instrument is a tool of putting pressure on the member states, for example on Poland. The idea was good, but the implementation is bad. This is not a success story. We'll have the bills to pay. And that is the question who's going to pay?”
  Accounting and auditing of EU budget
• “Thank you very much. Colleagues. The ECR Group supports the proposal to adopt the simplified procedure and accepts the council's position without amendment. And the council? There was no possibility of adopting any other position. So it makes no sense simply trying to ask for any other changes. The EC has always supported the possibility of member states to decide, but without putting pressure on them. We do not support the positions that call for harmonisation at any price. This solution gives the necessary flexibility. It does not excessively increase the requested formalities for. Those in countries which we have agreements with. So we fully support the rapporteurs position.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Thank you very much. First of all, I would like to thank the representatives of the unions and the workers. The situation we've heard about is quite simply unacceptable. And I regret the fact that Amazon is absent from today's discussions. But of course, that's not the first time it's happened. Amazon decided not to come to the Parliament, and yet they've tried to contact a number of members of the parliament. Amazon is a company that is growing, that is developing, developing. But this is to the detriment of workers. We know that in any company, its human capital is its chief asset. And we in the European Parliament should not limit what we do to merely listening to the tales and statements from these workers. We need to take proper measures and the Commission should be doing the same people. Workers should not be seen as just a numbers. They shouldn't be punished because they need to go to the toilet or they've taken too long. We know that also health and safety at work are ignored by Amazon. What we've seen in recent days, the situation that occurred during a workplace inspections, when people have tried to get to know what's happening in Amazon workshops and the, uh, has even led to fines. And yet the company would prefer to pay the fine than to improve workers conditions. This is unacceptable. And we can't accept this violation of workers rights. Now I'm wondering whether the wages are adequate. You talk about low wages. Despite the efforts that workers have made to try to meet the. Bar that set for them in their work. Now, we know that Amazon has already been ruled against, and they have to respect the punishments that have been handed down. But we still see very poor treatment of workers. Even though they are, they as human capital are what company should value the most. Now on the I directive If I can be beneficial in workplaces. But it should not allow or even encourage poor treatment of workers. We need to take actions to take steps that can yield tangible fruits. We can't let workers be treated just however the employer wants.”
  EU rules on hazardous working conditions
• “Ladies and gentlemen, the European Investment Bank is a necessary. Efficient and apolitical institution. Its role in supporting investments, especially in younger member states of the EU, is really, really fantastic. And it is a pillar of the cohesion policy and an engine of integration. The EIB is under constant political pressure. However, it is expected not to be compliant with strategic objectives of the EU, but also with the current agenda of the Commission or with priorities of the parliamentary majority. The Triple-A rating is not once and for all. It is always based on trust, which is easy to lose. As Ronald Reagan used to say, you shouldn't fix what's not broken. Let's not break the reputation of one of the last EU institutions trusted by the market. It is the green policy of the Commission under current leadership, as the source of the pressures that threaten the trust in Ebi. The Commission needs new leadership and independent one that will also respect the sovereignty of Member States and of the EU institutions. Thank you very much.”
  EU political integration
• “Ladies and gentlemen, when I talk to people in my country, they say very clearly we're in favour of Europe. But a Europe that respects sovereignty, identity and the self-determination of peoples. People do ask me straight out, why should bureaucrats in Brussels be deciding for us? And they're absolutely right. The European semester was meant to be a sensible tool, a tool for economic coordination, for oversight over public finances, a mechanism to help maintain stability. That's what was behind it. But today, what we see is something different. Instead of a simple tool for economic cooperation, what we're seeing is an instrument generating political pressure. And this pressure is pushed on and on social policy, labour market housing, pushing into decisions that have always belonged to the member states. And now we're seeing a further step conditionality of European funds, making it dependent on the implementation of reforms, that the Commission has decided on imposing policies that are not in the national interest, but in keeping with the Brussels agenda. That is the juncture when there's no longer coordination. It's a question of disciplining. Brussels is pointing the finger at people telling you who should be doing what in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and many other countries and Europeans see this. They do not accept it. There's something else they see as well. And that is in Europe we're seeing some are equal, some are more equal than others. However, some have to listen. Now, Europe wasn't created as a central management project. It was established as a community of free nations. Thank you.”
  EU political integration
• “Ladies and gentlemen, when I talk to people in my country, they say very clearly we're in favour of Europe. But a Europe that respects sovereignty, identity and the self-determination of peoples. People do ask me straight out, why should bureaucrats in Brussels be deciding for us? And they're absolutely right. The European semester was meant to be a sensible tool, a tool for economic coordination, for oversight over public finances, a mechanism to help maintain stability. That's what was behind it. But today, what we see is something different. Instead of a simple tool for economic cooperation, what we're seeing is an instrument generating political pressure. And this pressure is pushed on and on social policy, labour market housing, pushing into decisions that have always belonged to the member states. And now we're seeing a further step conditionality of European funds, making it dependent on the implementation of reforms, that the Commission has decided on imposing policies that are not in the national interest, but in keeping with the Brussels agenda. That is the juncture when there's no longer coordination. It's a question of disciplining. Brussels is pointing the finger at people telling you who should be doing what in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and many other countries and Europeans see this. They do not accept it. There's something else they see as well. And that is in Europe we're seeing some are equal, some are more equal than others. However, some have to listen. Now, Europe wasn't created as a central management project. It was established as a community of free nations. Thank you.”
  EU political integration
• “And yesterday, it was also stated clearly by the Commissioner that Yeah, these areas will be a priority. And here Poland's position is consistent and we will be in favor of this approach. Although this discussion is only in the initial phase, but the share of Common Agricultural Policy funding will be maintained and farmers in the countries mentioned should not be should not be on the losing side here. And as Poland, we intend a budget up to the ambitions of the EU. And we cannot allow for Limiting the EU budget in this area. As for the digital euro, I have repeated many times that in Poland no work is under way to adopt the euro at this moment as the presidency, as an honest broker. We take into account the interests of all Member States and. The digital euro point on the agenda, which has many quite an opposition also in the eurozone. But we believe that we need to work on this because it is important for a part of the member States. And I repeat, we are not working on the adoption of the euro in Poland. And finally, I think that's. Yes, that's all I had to say. Thank you.”
  Agricultural funding
• “Colleagues. Uh, Madam Chair, first of all, I would like to thank our rapporteur for the, uh, for the text and for the compromises. I see that, uh, in his text, he criticizes, uh, bureaucracy. Red tape, wants to revive investments, uh, go away from what was originally established or limited within the Green Deal and cooperate with member states in the spirit of subsidiarity was especially important for us, as ECR this text sees subsidiarity as absolutely key. Many of those who are in favour of European ambition and harmonising have seemed to have forgotten about subsidiarity. So I am glad to see the return. It's not a wish list. I think this text is not self-complacent from what we've achieved so far, which is appreciated in our amendments. We want to emphasise the difficult situation of SMEs, especially in the light of recent crises and additional burdens created by the Green Deal. I am glad that the new compromises stick to the original line. I know it will be difficult to win majority which will be required to adopt this courageous text. However, I encourage our rapporteur not to give up with this. This report Port will be even more important, and I believe it will help us avoid the mistakes in the interpretation of regulations in the EU that we have done, that we have committed so far. So I wish you a fruitful debate, and our group ECR is willing to cooperate and support this text. Thank you.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Ladies and gentlemen, addictions really begin dramatically. Mostly they're quite innocent to start with, starting with curiosity. He's at a party. A balloon passed around from hand to hand. That's how a lot of people started out with nitrous oxide, convinced as they are that it's just a bit of fun, that nothing bad can happen. And then brutality, brutal reality kicks in. Damage to the nervous system, problems, walking with balance, intoxication, road accidents and death. The European Agency for drugs has called has. Warned that the recreational use of nitrous oxide is on the rise in the EU. In France we've had many cases reported and they've affected serious. They've involved serious neurological damage. In the Netherlands, many young people have been treated for degeneration of the spinal cord. As a result, and the number of road accidents linked to the use of nitrous oxide has risen 80%, from 1652 to 2000 652 to 4860. That's 4860 young people directly affected who had been convinced that this was just a bit of fun. Now everything in the world has its place, and nitrous oxide too, has its place in medicine, in anaesthetics. There. It's used to mitigate pain and save lives, but it cannot be sold on the street and be handed around amongst teenagers. Fear and it creates fear. Instead of treating people, it kills people. And that's forcing us now to think again, forcing us to act. That's why a ban on its sale to the general public is a sensible and proportional solution. It would mean that hospitals and industry would still be able to get hold of it, but the door to abuse would be closed. Freedom also means responsibility, and our duty here in the Parliament is to protect the health and the lives of a young generation of Europeans. Thank you.”
  EU measures on lifestyle-related behaviours (smoking, drinking, eating, etc.) · Recreational nitrous oxide / novel psychoactive substances (NPS) regulation
• “Ladies and gentlemen, the Europeans do work in a long subcontracting chains, but there is a human being at the end of this chain, and we don't know who is actually responsible for our work. Is this a good solution? Can we solve this problem on the member states level? But subcontracting is also about cost reduction, about streamlining investment, and also the jobs for local entrepreneurs. So we need more reason than new regulations. The European Union cannot allow itself to hamper the work of entrepreneurs. Now multiplying of regulations will not solve the problem. Member States need to have the necessary flexibility to protect their workers, their companies. So less red tape, more responsibility and accountability, and more respect for sovereignty as well.”
  EU policy on employment subcontracting
• “Ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased to see that the European Commission has finally noticed and acknowledged the threat that many regions neighboring Russia, Ukraine and Belarus has been facing. But it's pretty late. We really missed that when the Law and Justice government in Poland was making sure that the eastern border of Poland was safe, we were protecting this border against irregular migration inspired by Putin and Lukashenko. This is the eastern border of the European Union. Now, when we want to reinforce defense and support eastern regions, well, when it comes to that, it will all be done on time and this money will be spent as promised. And I want, on behalf of our ECR Group, to declare that we will be monitoring this process closely. We want to make sure that the Efsi plus, the main objective of which is to reinforce social integration and to create equal opportunities, will not be subject to any controversies, and this money will be used properly. Thank you.”
  EU-Belarus relations
• “Madam chair. Minister. I wonder how many questions I will have time to raise. According to the communication by the European Commission, according to recent financial data, uh uh, cohesion and agricultural funds are to land in. Uh uh uh are to be directed into investment, and therefore they will be, uh, at the mercy of governments. And the funds for distribution will be lesser than before. Uh, 20% of the budget will be consumed by the common budget. And is this a way of hiding the fact that there might be a shortage of funding for agriculture and the less developed regions? And if so, how does the Polish presidency intend to communicate this development to Polish farmers? Given that from a 2028, they can expect much less funding from the EU? The second question refers to referring to the minister's statement about the digital euro. My question is, is the Minister in favour of Poland's early accession to the euro? That is as soon as possible. Symbol. And what would be the safeguards for Poland's economic benefit to Britannia? I thank you for these questions. Well, I'm here in the capacity of being the chair of the Ecofin, but I will try to respond a little bit in a broader context. The Common Agricultural Policy and Cohesion policy are a key priority for us as presidency, and that's the position presented by Poland throughout all discussions concerning the Multiannual Financial Framework.”
  Agricultural funding
• “Dear colleagues, I come from Poland, a country that has, uh, experienced centralised economies. So with some concern, I see that competition and businesses are moving towards a centralised, planned economies and markets. And this is, I think, runs counter to what is most important for competition, i.e., um, bottom up innovation. And this has become a bit of an obsession, especially when it comes to American digital companies. We know that monopolies are a problem, but I think all of us here in this chamber should agree. We have to. They do protect freedom of speech, whereas in the European Union it's being restricted. We have to cooperate with the United States, not enter into a trade war. And this report throws oil onto the fire. So a sad conclusion is that all of this is not about our concern for competition. It's an attack on the United States. And like the ECR, we would like to condemn this shortsighted and harmful approach.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Allow me to start with an image, one that is known by many Europeans, young couples in their 30s. They're both working. They want to start a family. They have dreams. But one thing is missing a home. And that's a crisis of housing in Europe. A year ago we set up a committee on this subject. There's not enough housing. What is built is too expensive. The prices of energy and construction are too high. Bureaucracy, red tape. But let's be honest, it's not a crisis which didn't fall from the sky. It's speculation in the market which has caused all this. Rather than than homes for people, for families, we built buildings. Less housing, less families, less families means fewer children. And this means a Europe which is weaker. So we need bold decisions. A plan. We're talking about is a step in the right direction. But it's not enough. We need to strengthen. Our actions in that regard. We have to cut red tape. Housing is the foundation of a family.”
  EU housing policy
• “Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Mr. Commissioner. I would like to ask you about the degree to which the Commission interferes with the national housing policy. On top of, uh, legislative initiatives like affordable housing. There is a plan to increase cooperation and monitoring. What would that increase mean? Does it mean that that would be, for example, national housing plans that would be established or as some proposed, would issues of housing be included in the European Semester and thus the Commission plan a possibility to maybe have a special financial instrument for housing in the future, like safe right now. And I'd like to know whether and how deep the Commission intends to interfere into the national housing policy under the, uh, topic of coordination and monitoring of national housing policy. That would be one complex of questions. The second issue that is of interest to me is, uh, the problem of supply. We do know that the current housing crisis was at least partially caused by factors that are on the demand side. Low interest rates that have been maintained for years caused an increased demand in real estate that was mainly treated as investments, and then a rapid increase in interest rates after the pandemic has brought the secondary market to a stop and brought about an increase in prices. So what do you think about the role of macroeconomic factors in the housing crisis? Is the trend towards treating real estate as investment to. Do you think it will be maintained? Uh, and if yes, do you think that increasing the supply will fulfill all the expectations. Thank you very much.”
  EU housing policy
• “Ladies and gentlemen, the law on the digital market is to protect the free market. But we are instead of fighting the monopolies, what we're doing is we're fighting against the American administration, and we are dealing. This act at the moment is a baseball bat for Donald Trump and for the technological companies in the United States. It's all hypocritical. We talk about a free market, but we use the law as a form of pressure. We talk about innovation, but we build regulations such as the Green Pact. All this is ridiculous. In in in order to limit the Americans on the market. Well, we have lost the technological race rather than racing. We're slowing down the others. And if we don't understand this, we will never regulate a future. Thank you.”
  EU rules on digital competition
• “Yes. Thank you very much. I'm going to be speaking in my mother tongue. I do have a question and it is more of a general nature but more targeted for the representative. If we're looking at effectiveness criteria for these different retirement plans with a view to leading to an increase in investment, there's a problem of the long term stability of the reform and resistance to short term changes in policy. In Poland, unfortunately, we can recall that in February 2014 that the then Tusk government reformed the pension funds under the second pillar and did this because of budgetary needs. And I do have a question and also linked to the French failure to try and raise the retirement age. How should we proceed with the reform? How can we get consensus amongst society for these reforms and guarantee stability? And how can we create incentives are perhaps looking at different tax incentives in order to encourage more investment in these different kinds of pension funds. Thank you.”
  EU fiscal rules and oversight of national budgets
• “Dear colleagues, I'm very happy that the Commission has this very serious approach to Russian various assets. Now, the assets is a problem, and it is a particular problem of the European Union when it comes to European finance. And we see a major gap between ambition and very limited possibilities so far. A hundred million, a hundred billion euro of European taxpayers' money has been offered to Ukraine, even though the Russian assets here in Europe is a double figure. We need to make a good use of those Russian assets. Why? We have debts. We need investment and loans from outside, and if China or Saudi Arabia does not want to buy our bonds, we'll have to abandon our ambition plans. Now, the global euro plans will be undermined if the largest players abandon their plans. Now, this is a measure which is connected with the fact that we have invested heavily in Russia, and despite fair warnings, those companies do not seem to be leaving this market. In 2023, the Austrian Raiffeisen Bank, the largest western bank still active in Russia, has gathered or earned to the tune of 4.4 billion euro of income, of profits. Now, let's not blame Orban or Trump; let's just make sure that we think of ourselves as economic superpower that we aren't. So when we are going to reach out to the frozen Russian assets...”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
• “Thank you very much, chair. First of all, I would like to Thank all speakers for their very interesting and very comprehensive presentations. And this has all been very important for the future of our populations. Demographic changes are per se long lasting. We've seen negative results of these in Poland and in the European Union, and they are of vital importance for the competitivity of the European Union. We are we may be quite surprised to see that the European Commission is only now focusing on these issues. In 2023, the toolbox which was introduced at that time comes too late, and it comes late in in relation to what member states have been doing, for instance, in Poland in 2022. Mr. Morawiecki's government has adopted a more detailed and more adequate demographic strategy for the year 2040, focusing mainly on a number of interventions necessary that are necessary in the form of investment, financial investment in families, housing policy and building a family friendly labour market which is very important and this is confirmed by research. Certainly, we must not impose strict and inflexible solutions upon the Member States, but we may focus on a number of common issues common to all of the European Union that require a common strategy. These include a crisis of pension systems which weren't as systemic reform, and flexible labour market for seniors, housing crisis, which will require Financial support at the level of the European Union, as well as and a good solid migration policy. We need to start acting in a prospective, future oriented way. Hence my question is the European Commission planning any solutions in that respect, especially as regards the migration policy, which would be targeted and oriented towards solving our labour issues, because we know that the migration pact pact is not really an tool in this respect, a base. We must remember that the future lies in the tradition, in the in the realm of traditional families. Thank you very much.”
  EU competences on demographic policy